Quotes describing Joseph McCarthy are apt for Trump

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Recently I came across the following quotation: “[He is] our modern Grand Inquisitor … a dangerous, clever and ruthless demagogue.”

Considering President Trump’s stances and opinions (and the manner in which he chooses to express them) regarding the banning of transgender soldiers serving in our military; the mocking of a prisoner of war, the physically disabled and women; stereotyping and using immigrants as scapegoats; threatening (Republican) members of Congress who oppose him; denigrating his own political appointees and messing with the U.S. Constitution, I believe this quote is succinctly spot on.

And this one, as well:

“… a perpetual adolescent who has never matured … a warped personality ….”

Are these quotations referring to President Trump? No. They were written decades ago by Agnes Meyer: American journalist, philanthropist, civil rights activist, and mother to Katherine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post, who piloted that newspaper through Watergate.

Meyer is describing the onetime U.S. senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy.

During the nationally televised “Army-McCarthy” hearings meant to weed out Communist “infiltrators” in American culture and government, McCarthy intimidated witnesses and stomped on their civil rights until finally, Joseph Welch, the Army’s chief counsel had had enough and asked McCarthy (on national TV) the courageous and now iconic question, “Have you no sense of decency, sir?”